


Wife or Mother, Your Choice

by Greeks vs Geeks (Wonderfullydepressedandlustful)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, father and son in awe of her awesomeness, like it was hinted as a threat, marinette being a badass, not even really, very very slight gabriel/marinette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-05-08 20:52:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5512910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderfullydepressedandlustful/pseuds/Greeks%20vs%20Geeks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien thought he would be prepared for the day that he ended up being trapped by a villain in front of people. he did not factor in Marinette Dupain-Cheng.</p><p>Based off of an amazing comic and an amazing idea on tumblr that had me rolling on the floor with laughter</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Comic: http://jenni-arts.tumblr.com/post/135595375316/another-comic-based-on-this-post-bc-it-honestly
> 
> Original Idea: http://starlit-knight.tumblr.com/post/135540934694/okay-so-heres-one-for-you-guys#notes

Adrien knew a day like this would come. Where he wouldn’t be able to transform and stop the villains from wreaking havoc without revealing his identity. He thought about it a lot. What would he do in this situation? Would he just risk it and transform anyway? Or just wait on Ladybug to show up and get him to evacuate so he could transform? The scenarios were honestly endless, but he was sure that he was ready for when it happened. After all, he figured that he thought through all of the logical scenarios.

He did not, however, factor in Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Big mistake, apparently.

Adrien was always aware of his painfully shy classmate, despite the fact that their conversations never really lasted long when they were in school together. That had changed slightly when she accepted the spot as his father’s apprentice while she attended one of the universite in Paris for fashion design. Due to the closer proximity and the fact that they had to work together for several of his father’s projects and Adrien’s photo shoots, Marinette had stopped stuttering around him as much and they were beginning to get to know each other better. In fact, he felt that he knew his classmate a lot better. So when him, his father, and Marinette had gotten cornered by the newest villain (an intern that had gotten fired for a very small mistake that didn’t actually matter), he was pretty sure that he was going to have to protect all of them and just reveal his identity.

Ms. Dupain-Cheng proved him wrong. The look of determination and anger on her face as the villain threatened them shocked Adrien, with the familiarity of it. She didn’t hesitate at all as she moved towards the threat, and began to engage her in a fight. Adrien couldn’t do anything but watch as the tiny woman that looked as threatening as a kitten most days went toe to toe with a super powered possessed person. The shock and awe continued as she finally knocked out the villain with a right hook that made both of the men present wince a little and took ahold of the ID badge, breaking it in half and releasing the akuma. The black butterfly flittered out of a broken window. It was silent as Marinette caught her breath and turned towards them again, grinning at her victory. One glance at the father and son’s faces quickly replaced it with a blush and stammering.

“M-Mr. Agreste! A-Adrien! Are y-you both okay? I-I’m going to go get help!” She managed to say before running off towards the exit, most likely to inform authorities of the location of the villain. The men stared at the direction she ran off to for a few seconds before Gabriel cleared his throat, dragging Adrien’s attention towards him. His father looked at him with a very serious gaze.

“You will either make her your wife or she will become your new mother.” He declared decisively. Adrien’s eyes went wide at that. “That girl is too talented for her not to become an Agreste. So, either make your move, I will make my own. That is all.”

His father was already walking towards the door by the time Adrien found his voice. “F-father, you’re joking right? You won’t seriously-you’re not going to actually pursue her-she is young enough to be your daughter. You won’t actually-”

“When Marinette comes back, tell her to meet me in my office to talk about her newest designs. I am sure she will want to have this discussion.” Pausing, Mr. Agreste turned back towards his son and lifted an eyebrow. “Unless you plan on taking her to lunch. Then I am sure I can talk to her later.”

With that, Adrien was left alone, save the still unconscious villain. He stood there for a few seconds before a familiar wave of red passed through the building, restoring everything back to what it was and waking up the victim of the akuma. They looked around in confusion as the police came in through the door, followed by a panting Marinette. She walked over to Adrien, confusion on her face.

“Where did Mr. Agreste go?” She asked, clearly searching for her mentor. Adrien looked at her for a second before smiling and shrugging. He chose to ignore the little stirring in his stomach at the fact that she was looking for his father. Their conversation was still ringing in his ears.

“He went back to the office and said that he wanted to talk to you.” Adrien said. Marinette nodded.

“Well, I guess I better go see him now. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” She started to walk away, but felt a hand on her arm.

“Um Marinette?” She turned back to see a blushing Adrien. Her own cheeks filled with color. “Father said that he could wait til later to talk to you. S-so, would you like to grab some lunch with me first? My treat?”

Her heart started to beat rapidly as she grinned at him. “S-sure! That sounds great!”

He returned her smile and released her arm, gesturing towards the door. “Well then, I know a great place that makes some of the best quiches I have ever eaten.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is having some issues and Gabriel reminisces on the past

Marinette was in an extremely good mood as she swung herself onto the Eiffel Tower for the weekly patrol. Her lunch date with Adrien had gone surprisingly well, with both of them managing to get through conversation topics without stuttering too much. It was nice and she was happy that Adrien seemed to have started noticing her. A thump next to her, however, brought her out of her thoughts.

“Lovely night, isn’t it?” She stated, glancing out at the city. The night time always brought out the best of the city in a glow from all the lights. Chat chuckled and stood up from his crouch.

“Yet, not as lovely as you, My Lady.” He replied softly, clearing his throat. “So, what is today’s patrol?”

Her heart winced at the change in his tone. She had made it clear after they both graduated from lycee that she liked someone else and that she would just prefer id they were friends. She knew it had hurt Chat, but he had agreed and laid off on the flirting to make her more comfortable. It had been awkward for the first few months after that, with both of them watching what they were saying to each other and trying to avoid touching, before they realized that they were being stupid. It had taken a while but they fell back into a good rhythm of partnership again. Still, there were times when Marinette could hear the pain in his voice.

Snapping back into the present, she scanned the area before deciding. “I take the north half, you take the south. We meet back here when we’re done. Got it, kitty?” She stated, looking at her partner. She was expecting to see a cheeky smile and hear an upbeat response. Instead, she was greeted with a much more subdued Chat than she was used to. “Chat?”

The cat in question looked up and gave her a thumbs up. “Sounds like a plan. See you later than, my lady.”

Before she could stop him, Chat vaulted away with the help of his baton, heading to the south side of the city. She waited for a few seconds, staring after her partner, wondering what would cause the usual excitement to fade away. Finally, she shook her head and began to make her way to her own section. She would just talk to him when they met up.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

Adrien sighed as he dropped back into his room. He knew that Ladybug had picked up slightly on his change in attitude and had avoided talking her about it. It was fairly obvious when he called her after he went through his section, saying that he was calling it a night and not to wait for him at the Eiffel Tower. He felt bad for it, but he knew that he couldn’t explain the situation without potentially revealing his identity. Something that she has said she didn’t want.

Falling back on his bed, he tried to calm his racing thoughts about his lady. Well, she wasn’t his. She had made that very clear after they both graduated, stating that she thought they would be better as friends and that her heart belonged to another. He didn’t push the issue. He could already see that she felt bad for rejecting him and his advances. So he did the right thing and backed down.

That didn’t mean that it hurt less.

Plagg made his existence known at this point in Adrien’s sulking, sitting on his partner’s head. “Come on kid, don’t be so down. You are acting extremely weird for someone who went on a lunch date.”

“Shut it Plagg. That isn’t why I’m like this. I’m just tired.” Adrien mumbled, turning over and effectively knocking off his kwami. The small creature paid no mind to his actions, instead climbing to sit on his shoulder.

“Well for someone who is tired, you sure aren’t sleeping.”

“Plagg.”

“I don’t see why you are still hung up on this. Date the girl. She obviously likes you, your dad approves for once, and you seem to like her too seeing that she is keeping you up at night and making you avoid Ladybug. Everyone wins.” Plagg continued, pointing out the obvious. Adrien groaned. It did seem simple but he couldn’t do it.

“But I still love Ladybug.” Plagg sighed.

“You humans make everything a lot more complicated than it needs to be. This is why I like cheese better. A simply delicious creation.” With that, the kwami decided that he had tried hard enough for one night to help his partner and flew away to his own section of the overly large room that was warm and close to the kitchen vent.

Meanwhile, Adrien continued to think about everything that was bothering him, including the two girls on his mind. A part of him wished that he could tell Ladybug about everything that was going on, but it was impossible. He couldn’t reveal is identity to her.

And really, how was he going to explain that he had somehow entered into a competition with his father over a girl that he only saw as a good friend until a couple of days ago?

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

Gabriel stared out of the window in his office. It was well past the time that was suitable for him to be working, especially since he didn’t have any major projects to work on himself, but he wasn’t planning on going to bed any time soon. He was too wrapped up in seeing the two shapes on the Eiffel Tower, talking, before heading in different directions. The drink in his hand hadn’t actually been sipped yet, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he started. It was always like this on these nights. Even when he wasn’t in Paris, he would sit and look out the window of his hotel. Praying that he was wrong about this one thing.

As the darker, taller shape faded into the distance, heading to the south side of Paris, Gabriel sighed and got up from his chair, intently heading to the bookcase that was in the farthest corner of the room. Unlike most of the furniture that was in his office that were cold, pale, and grand, this bookshelf was made of darker wood and looked like it belonged in a completely different room. A completely different house entirely. It fit a homier and smaller house, with a child and two happy parents that were barely figuring out the world. It was from a completely different time period in Gabriel’s life, one of the only things that he kept in plain view from that time. There were twice as many good memories associated with it than bad, but the bad were more powerful than the good.

His eyes drifted from the objects on the bookcase lazily, reminiscing in the memories that came with them. His first official design that he made, a picture of the Adrien’s ultrasound, Emelia’s favorite books that they had written in and read Adrien when he was younger, the tickets to the first movie he took her to, a picture of them on their wedding day, and finally, a picture of his son and wife. His eyes rested on that particular picture for a bit before he crouched down to the lowest shelf. In the very back if it, behind the Adrien’s first blanket, was an unframed picture tucked in the corner. Grabbing it carefully, he slowly removed it and walked closer to the window. The lights on the Eiffel Tower gave the entire office a light glow, just enough light for him to look at the picture clearly.

The picture was obviously taken without the two people in it knowing it, from their carefree attitude of it and the distance it was taken from. The two young adults were seated at the edge of a random building in Paris, if the Tower in the background was anything to go by. The man had his arm around the young woman’s waist, pulling her close as she lifted her face to the sky and laughed. Their blonde hair blew in the wind, with the young woman’s ponytail stretching out from behind. They could have been any happy couple of it wasn’t for the distinct outfits they wore. The previous Ladybug and Chat Noir never looked better or closer in this picture.

His eyes stayed on the young Ladybug, much like his picture self was doing. Emelia always took the perfect pictures, even when she didn’t know it was being taken. It had been a hassle to get the man that had taken this from his balcony to give the film to him so that he could get the picture developed. But it was worth it in order to have a picture of their other life. A life he thought was behind me until the recent reappearance of Chat Noir and Ladybug.

“That bastard of a kwami. I told him to leave me and my family alone after what happened. But he still decided to choose my son too.” He murmured to himself. A shadow passed the very top of his window, drawing his attention from the past to follow a familiar body around the corner of his home. So it looked like Adrien’s little patrol was over.

Gabriel slowly made his way back to his desk and his drink. He would need it now that he knew his son was back home now. Carefully placing the picture on his desk, he eased his body back to his chair and took a small sip of his drink. The alcohol flowed down his throat smoothly. His eyes slowly went back to the picture.

One last sigh escaped him. “It seems our son inherited your sense of duty and compassion, Emelia. And my hopeless romanticism and stubbornness.” Silence filled the room once again as he fingered the edge of the picture. Finally, after drinking the rest of the alcohol in his glass, he got up, place the picture back in place, and opened the door to leave. Maybe he could go to bed now. One last glance out the window showed a small body landing on the Eiffel Tower and looking around.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t have to go through what we did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really tired but i promised Brittany and now this has a plot line and i have the first 7 chapters plotted out on paper and the rest in my mind and this is going to take over my life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is still having issues, Marinette is so strong, and Gabriel decides to make things interesting

It was pretty common to see Marinette around the Agreste Mansion. It should be, seeing that she was Gabriel Agreste’s apprentice. It was to be expected that she would be seen in the mansion, carrying materials and papers, running around the upper floors in search of a reference material, or even just trying to find the supply room in the maze of a house. So Adrien should have known that he would see her sooner or later. He should have been prepared, ready for the awkward struggle in his head to swim up to the surface. And yet, he was still taken by surprise when he turned the corner towards the dining room and ran straight into the blue-eyed girl. Literally.

There was a simultaneous groan from both of the young adults as they landed on the ground, fabric and papers decorating the floor. Adrien looked towards the girl that had been plaguing his mind for most of the week, an apologetic look on his face. It was obvious that she couldn’t have seen where she was going with the amount of fabric rolls and papers stacked in her arms. She continued to look around the floor, probably trying to take a quick inventory of everything she was carrying. Once he was on his feet again, he offered a hand to Marinette.

“I am so sorry Marinette, I wasn’t paying attention when I turned the corner.” He apologized immediately, causing the girl in question to snap her head up towards him with enough speed to cause whiplash. Her eyes widened and Adrien was starting to see the pinkish tint of a blush going to the apples of her cheeks.

“A-Adrien! Oh, it was my fault! I didn’t see where I was going and I shouldn’t have tried to carry as much as I did and oh god are you hurt? It sounded like you hit the floor pretty hard.” She sputtered out rapidly, taking his hand and lifting herself up. Adrien rested a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Marinette looked over him with worried eyes, still stuck on her question.

“I’m fine. I should be asking you the same thing. You took a pretty hard fall and you were carrying all of this. Are you okay?” Adrien responded. Marinette nodded, giving him a small smile that caused his stomach to move in a rather uncomfortable way, before her eyes widened. Immediately, she dropped to her knees and started to gather the papers.

“Shoot! Mr. Agreste is waiting for me to bring me all of this stuff in his office. I’m already late because the company office had a mix up and I am sure that he is going to be angry because of the delay.” She rambled to herself. Adrien bent down to collect the rest of the papers that had fluttered some ways away. He knew just what it was like to go to his father, knowing that he was going to be angry.

“Here, let me help you carry it up there and since it was my fault you are running late.” He offered, handing her the collected papers and reaching for the fallen fabric rolls. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt the weight of each roll add up in his arms. How in the world did she carry these like nothing? These alone weighed at least 25 pounds, and Marinette was so small and frail that he didn’t expect her to be carry this much weight so easily. She stood back up slowly, organizing the papers again as she chewed on her bottom lip.

“Adrien, its fine. You really don’t have to-”

Adrien cut her off. “I want to help. Now come on, we don’t want to keep Father waiting.” With that, he started to walk in the direction of Gabriel Agreste’s office. After a second or two, he heard the telling clacking of Marinette’s heels behind him. He knew that if she wasn’t in a rush to get to his father, she probably would have put up more of a fight about him carrying the fabrics for her. He had to smile to himself about winning that argument. And that is when the thoughts that had been battling in his mind for the past couple of days surfaced to his conscious. _‘She is cute. Just listen to Plagg and go after her.’_ said one part of his brain softly, while the other part frantically shouted, _‘What about Ladybug? We love her!’_. This would lead to a rather long cycle of both side getting louder and loud in his head til he had to go do something mind numbing to get the two sides to shut up.

They walked in silence towards the office, both trying to come up with conversation starters and failing. Before either of them could actually speak, the doors of the office were in front of them. Marinette pulled them open and rushed in.

“I am so sorry that I am late Mr. Agreste! There was a mix up at the company regarding the papers and then the fabrics department was-” she started to apologize, only to stop when Gabriel raised his hand.

“The office called to inform me of the troubles they had Ms. Cheng. It’s fine. Just set the fabrics down on the work table…Adrien.” Gabriel said, clearly becoming aware of the fact that his son was also there and carrying materials. Adrien entered the room fully and set down the heavy fabrics at their desired location.

“Oh yes, I ran into Adrien coming in and he offered to help me carry all of the things up to the office.”

Gabriel nodded his head, continuing to look down at the paper he had received. “As to be expected. I know that those fabrics are quite heavy and I am surprised to see that you carried it from the office to here using public transportation.” He commented.

Adrien stiffened at that. He hadn’t even thought of the fact that Marinette probably carried all of this stuff from the main office. Did she really manage to carry it from the office on the west side back to the mansion by herself? He turned to look at her, only to see Marinette blushing slightly at his father’s words.

“It was really nothing Mr. Agreste. I knew how important it was to get these supplies to you, so I didn’t mind it.” She paused for a moment. “If that is all you need, then I guess I’ll head home.”

“You’re not staying to work on anything?” Adrien asked, clearly confused on why Marinette would go all the way to the main office, pick up a ton of materials, head to the mansion, only to leave right after. Marinette jumped slightly, and turned to face him.

“O-oh, um no. I’m actually not scheduled to work on my apprenticeship today since it is Friday. I just came by to run these to Mr. Agreste. So, I have the rest of the day off….” Marinette trailed off. Adrien immediately picked up on the two choices he had. He could take Marinette’s hint and invite her out on a date or he could be a jerk and a coward and walk away.

Sometimes, Adrien wondered if he why he got picked to be Chat Noir, who is supposed to be brave and suave and help people. This was definitely one of those times. He could feel his father’s stare on him as he smiled at Marinette. “Well, enjoy your day off. You worked hard enough.” Marinette visibly deflated at his words before returning his smile half-heartedly.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll just-”

“Marinette, would you like join me for dinner? I would like to discuss using some of your newer designs in the upcoming line.” Gabriel cut in, effectively stopping both of the young adults. Adrien felt his stomach turn and blood rush to his head. Clenching his fists, he stayed quiet. Marinette, however, looked elated at the opportunity.

“Mr. Agreste that would be amazing! Yes, I would love to.” She immediately responded, obviously only concentrating on the fact that her designs could be in the new line that he had been working on. Gabriel smiled at the young designer.

“You can call me Gabriel, Ms. Cheng. I’ll have Natalie set up the reservations. How does going to Guy Savoy sound?” Gabriel suggested. Adrien sucked in a breath. He really didn’t think that his father would actually go through with this. Was it really a competition? Did he actually-no. No, this had to be an elaborate scheme to get Adrien to date Marinette. That is what was happening.

Marinette let out a small gasp. “ _The Guy Savoy?_ That’s one of the best restaurants in town! I-I don’t have anything to wear that would be suitable for that.” She mumbled the last part, but Gabriel heard her. Getting up from his desk, he rounded the corner and placed a hand on her shoulder. Adrien could feel the blood rushing in his ears.

“I am sure that there is something from the current line that is in your size. We can go to the main office and find you something. It is no trouble.”

Adrien was sure that there was more to the conversation, but he walked out as fast as he could before he heard the rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been interesting to write and honestly, i did most of it while talking on skype with my Chat and a couple other friends(one which is our resident Nino, no joke) and I finally finished it. The next chapter should be up in the next day or two, because I am going to enjoy writing the next one. Interesting things happen in the next one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night at the mansion reveals some things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should make this known to everyone before you read this chapter, because if you don't know this then the chapter just sounds really creepy.
> 
> GABRIEL ISN'T ACTUALLY PURSUING MARINETTE IN A ROMANTIC WAY
> 
> ok, now that this is cleared up, because it was kinda hazy from the first couple chapters, we can move on

Marinette had always had a knack for getting lost in her designs. She could spend entire weekends just working on them and not notice it until Alya gave her a call and asked if she had done a certain assignment. It had been an issue when she was younger, but now that she was living her dream and working as the apprentice of _the Gabriel Agreste_ , she was starting to realize that it was normal. Mr. Agreste would do the same in his office, often forgetting to eat if Natalie wasn’t required to remind him of meals and business meetings.

However, there were a few nights where both Gabriel and Marinette became too wrapped up in their respective projects and didn’t notice the changing of day to night. Even when they lost the natural daylight that came with the office and the fluorescent lights came on automatically, neither designers flinched and looked up. Marinette was too busy making the final adjustments to her designs that had been approved to go into the fashion line while Gabriel was overlooking the final plans and marketing strategies that were going to be put into place in the coming week. Even when Natalie called to tell them good day, they both briefly replied. In fact, it wasn’t until Marinette felt her stomach growl and the grandfather clock chime ten times that they looked up.

The young designer scrambled for her phone underneath the pile of papers on her desk and scrolled through the long list of notifications from her parents asking when she was coming home. Gabriel glanced at his clock to see the red numbers blinking at him. 22:01.

“Oh my god, I have to get home right away. My parents are worried sick.” Marinette stated, starting to put her things away. Gabriel looked at her with worry in his eyes. He knew that the girl’s family lived in the 4th district, which was some ways away, and even though he knew that she could handle herself, she shouldn’t have to.

“Ms. Cheng, it’s far too late for me to feel comfortable with you using the metro alone. I can have the staff prepare a room for you and you can stay overnight.” He said. Marinette stopped organizing her papers and turned around to face him.

“N-no I couldn’t! I couldn’t intrude and my parents are really worried about me. I’ll be fine on the metro. I can handle it. It’s only a 30 minute ride.”

Gabriel looked at his apprentice. There was strength in this girl, he knew that. Anyone who could take out an akuma on their own without a miraculous was someone not to underestimate. But the fact still stood that she was a young woman, it was late at night, and he knew that Paris’s heroes were not patrolling tonight. If something happened to her, he would have to bear the guilt of that on his mind. And he refused to be unable to save another strong woman to unfortunate circumstances.

“And it will only be a 10 minute ride if a send you in the car. I’ll call for a driver immediately.” Gabriel was already moving towards the phone to call for his night driver that he had hired for circumstances like this. When Marinette had joined his company as his apprentice, he had wanted to make sure that she would have a way to get home safely for nights like this.

“Mr. Agreste, its fine. You don’t need to call a driver for me or anything. I’ve walked home from deliveries this late when I was younger and nothing ever happened.” Marinette continued to insist. Gabriel sighed.

“Marinette, just because nothing has happened in the past, doesn’t mean that something won’t happen in the future. I have full faith in your ability to defend yourself, but I would rather you not be put in a situations that requires those skills to be tested. Additionally, I would prefer for you to keep yourself out of danger. You are an important asset to this company’s future.”

The blue haired girl closed her mouth at his words, taking them in slowly. After a second, she smiled.

“Yes sir, I understand and I will try to remember this in the future, but at this moment, I insist that I can get myself home. I would rather not be an inconvenience to you or your staff, even if you don’t see it as one. I hope that you can respect that.” She said in a professional tone. Gabriel met her gaze. She was strong –willed, her gave her that. Despite her size and frame, he knew that she was tough as nails. It was why he considered her the ideal candidate for his son. Letting out a small sigh, he pushed up his glasses.

“Fine then, Ms. Cheng. But before you go, I absolutely insist on you eating something. It is the least that I can do since I didn’t keep track of time and dismiss you at the proper hour.” Before he could hear her protests, he walked out of the door way. A few seconds passed before the sound of shoes clacking against the marble floor echoed through the hall.

“W-wait! Mr. Agreste, I really shouldn’t-”

“I am going down to the kitchen to fix myself something to eat since the last time both of us ate something was over 12 hours ago. I have no qualms with fixing you something to eat as well, Ms. Cheng.” There was a slight pause in his words, but no falter in his steps. “I believe that I am in the mood for salad. Do you like scallops?”

“Scallops?”

“Yes, scallops. I believe that we have all the necessary ingredients for my favorite salad and it contains scallops.”

The small designer had caught up to him at this point, allowing him to see her face. She seemed puzzled. “I don’t think that I’ve ever eaten scallops before.”

Gabriel felt a small smile flit across his face as they continued downstairs to the kitchen. The cooks and most of the staff would have already left, but he knew that the fridge was kept stocked with anything that he might desire. Although recently, his staff had been giving him weird looks for ordering larger amounts of cheese than usual….

The doors to the kitchen swung open and a small gasp exited from Marinette. Gabriel continued to walk in without blinking. He knew that his kitchen was impressive, it was one of the best private kitchen made, but he was used to it. Rolling up his sleeves, he began to pull out the ingredients for the salad.

“I didn’t know that you could cook, Mr. Agreste.” She muttered under her breath, taking a seat at one of the counters. Gabriel shrugged as the preparations for the meal began.

“I was once a young designer like you, Ms. Cheng. The only difference is that I didn’t have the luck of becoming a known designer’s apprentice right after graduation. So, I had to learn how to take care of myself, which includes learning how to cook. And then when I met my wife, who was a disaster in the kitchen, I began to actually enjoy cooking. But after she….”

Marinette watch the older man’s little glimmer of happiness that was starting to form slip away and she felt sad. She knew that something had happened to Adrien’s mom when he was younger that caused his house and his father to turn cold and distant, but she never pushed what had happened or how Gabriel felt about it. It didn’t excuse how he had treated, and still kind of treated, his son, but Marinette was starting to wonder if both of the Agreste men were hurting and just didn’t know how to help each other.

Silence filled the room as Gabriel continued to prep and eventually cook the scallops and prepare the rest of the salad. The young girl was content with just watching his practiced movements and thinking to herself. It wasn’t until the plates were done and what looked like to be a very expensive bottle of wine was placed on the counter that she caught up with reality.

“Caribbean grilled scallop salad with some white wine. Wine is optional, of course, since you are walking home.” Walking over the plates, Marinette took a fork in hand and tried a bit of the food. She held back a groan. This was heaven.

“This is amazing, Mr. Agreste. Thank you so much.” She murmured, concentrating on eating the food as her stomach betrayed her in hunger. Gabriel smiled to himself at the sight of the young girl. She reminded him a lot of Emelia, which meant that she would make a great wife to Adrien.

“The pleasure is mine, Ms. Cheng. It has been some time since I cooked, so I am glad you enjoy it.” He stated before following her example and taking a bite out of the salad. They focused primarily on the food for a few minutes, both of their hungers catching up to them. Slowly, Marinette drank from her own glass of wine, aware that she could have some and not get tipsy. Putting the glass down, she leaned on the counter. “So, what was it like for you to work your way to the top?”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Adrien let out a groan as he stretched. The coursework he had received from his classes at the Ecole had started piling up throughout the week with all the photoshoots scheduled in, resulting in him having to stay up later to try and catch up. Looking at the clock, the green numbers flashed 23:14 at him. Right next to the clock, Plagg was sleeping and muttering something about cheese and the occasional ‘Tikki stop it’. Adrien smiled at his kwami and got up from his desk. It had been away since he had eaten and he knew that the kitchen was stocked. A quick snack wouldn’t hurt.

Walking down the familiar marble halls of his home, Adrien made sure to be quiet. There was an unspoken rule ever since his mother vanished, and then declared dead when the police found a her car teetering on the edge of a giant chasm in the road with the doors open and the windows broken, that there was no need for noise in the house. It was a quiet shell of their past.

So it made sense that as Adrien got closer to the dining room, he became curious as he heard low voices talking. And then extremely shocked when a small giggle rang out through the hall. A very familiar giggle that belonged to a pig-tailed apprentice that should not be in their house at this time of night. His pace quickened when the low lights of the dining room caught his eye. Why was Marinette still here, in the dining room, giggling? He reached the doorway and peaked inside to see a sight that both confused and angered him. On the other side of the long table, sitting rather close to each other, was his father and Marinette. They both had glasses of wine in their hands and empty dessert plates in front of them, with an almost empty bottle to the side. Marinette leaned in closer to Gabriel, obviously still laughing at whatever the older man had said. Adrien could see the flush against her cheeks from his distance, which only fueled his anger. Clearing his throat, he pushed down his feelings. Immediately, two pairs of eyes looked up at him.

“Father, Marinette. What are you two doing up so late?” he asked in a level tone. Gabriel leaned on his elbows and raised an eyebrow at his son. However, it was Marinette who answered by looking at her phone and realizing the time.

“Oh shoot! I really do have to go. Thanks for the dinner, and the dessert, and the wine Mr. Agreste. It was all delicious.” She announced, getting up and stumbling slightly. Adrien’s eyebrows pinched at the young girl’s steps. Was she drunk? She was at least tipsy.

“Marinette, how are you getting home?” He asked the blue eyed girl. She froze slightly at his question.

“Um, I was going to take the Metro. The station isn’t that far.” She answered reluctantly. Green eyes widened at that answer and he walked forward. She was clearly not in a state to go on any public transportation alone.

“You can’t take the Metro this late at night alone. We can call a driver to take you home.” He offered, glancing at his father to confirm. The man nodded silently, clearly content with observing the two young adults. Marinette sighed.

“Like father, like son.” She muttered, causing the feeling in Adrien’s stomach to peak uneasily. “Adrien, like I told your father, I am fine with take the Metro. I’ve done it before and I’m perfectly able to take care of myself.”

Before Adrien could argue, Gabriel stepped in first. “Ms. Cheng that was at least 3 glasses of wine and an hour ago. It is not safe for you to take the Metro in this condition.” He said. Marinette’s cheeks flushed more at the truth.

“B-but I would really rather not inconvenience any of your staff….” She replied weakly. Adrien stepped closer to the young designer and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Then I can drive you home. It won’t be an inconvenience and I’m not sure I could sleep tonight not knowing if you got home safe. Please Marinette?”

He could see the fight flow out of her at his request. “If you insist. I-I just need to get something from the office really quick and then we can go.” She mumbled, walking quickly out of the room and up the stairs. As soon as her footsteps faded away, Adrien turned towards his father.

“Did you get her drunk on purpose?” he hissed. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly at his tone. Adrien had never really spoken against him or even questioned his actions before, but he was clearly upset at the situation.

“That was not the purpose. I did offer her wine and asked her if she would like more once she finished a glass, but I wasn’t actively seeking to get her intoxicated. What are you implying?” he answered coolly. He could see Adrien’s frustration at his answer. “I wouldn’t stoop so low as to take advantage of her if that is what you are trying to say. If she became too intoxicated to walk and still refused a driver, I would have requested her to stay in one of the guest rooms here and informed her parents of her whereabouts. You, however, solved that dilemma for me.”

Adrien stared with distrust at his father. Gabriel was fine with this. If competition and slight misunderstandings were going to motivate the boy into making a move, he was fine with playing the role. “I suggest the Maybach.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, so there is a lot to mention:
> 
> One, this chapter was supposed to come out on Sunday, but Statistics hates me and I didn't have the last part done so we had to wait til today. 
> 
> Two, we see Gabriel bonding with Marinette. I would like to reiterate that he is not seeing her as a potential wife for HIM, but for ADRIEN. He is looking out for his son, in an admittedly weird way, but the purpose and driving force behind all of this will be explained later.
> 
> Three, I would like to say that the supposed death of Emelia Agreste that Adrien mentioned is not actually how she died. No, that would be too easy. How she died is a lot more painful for everyone involved.
> 
> Four, the car that Gabriel refers to at the end is the Mercedes Maybach S600, which is one of the nicest cars I have ever heard of. The starting price is over 100,000 dollars. I could tell you all of the cool and amazing features this car has, but you should just look it up and marvel at this car. Because this car is amazing and I dream of owning it someday.
> 
> Five, Adrien is going to college, or the Ecole as I believe its called(if I'm wrong tell me so I can fix it please), but he was no idea what he wants to be. At least not yet. He is doing his basics so it isn't all that too troubling, but I really didn't know what this child aspired to be so i just decided not to say. Its up to you what he is going to study. I'm not actually ever going to say it.
> 
> I think that is it. I once again, am thankful for my own Chat for constantly telling me to write and update since I refuse to show her any of the story before hand. She is probably the driving force behind this story since my life is a mess right now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An akuma attack leads to Chat visiting Marinette and catching up on his so called 'favorite civilian'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I would one like to say that I am sorry that it took so long for me to update. Life got....sad. Anyway, the reason I am posting it today and not later on like I was planning, is because I remembered around 9 last night that it was my Chat's birthday today and I hadn't gotten her the gift that I was planning on getting her. So what's the next best thing besides brownies and a new update on the story that she likes so much? My hoodie, that's what, but she isn't getting that for reasons. So Happy Birthday!
> 
> Also, fun note that I realized. The chapters are spaced in about the same amount of time as the stuff that is going on in them, with only a few exceptions like next chapter because I have to sleep at some point and can't churn out two chapters in 24 hours.

With how most photoshoots were run in the modeling industry, it was actually pretty amazing that no one had been turned into an akuma sooner. Adrien had been expecting it for a while now. However, expecting it and it actually happening are two different things, so he was still slightly surprised when one of the rebuffed junior photographers came back after being shooed off set in a ridiculous black and white costume, yelling something about being ‘Picture Perfect’ and started throwing polaroid pictures that were like sharp knives. Rolling out of the way of one of the projectiles, Adrien scanned the area for a quick place to transform. The shoot had erupted into pandemonium as people started to realize what was going on, which wasn’t making things any easier.

Finally spotting an empty dressing room, he weaved his way through the chaos of photography stuff and rushing people. The door closed with a slam and he breathed easily. Soon after, a black blob flew out from the inside jacket pocket he had gotten specially made for just in case. “Wow that was one flashy photographer.”

“No kidding.” Adrien huffed. He had to get back out there and do damage control until Ladybug arrived. “Plagg, claws out!”

* * *

 

He was about halfway to the akuma when a single thought made him falter. Marinette. She had joined him on this shoot and he hadn’t seen her run to the exit with everyone. Stopping immediately, he scanned the area til 2 familiar blue pigtails were barely visible from behind an overturned table. Blue eyes met green and Marinette gave him a thumbs up before taking off to the nearest exit. Adrien nodded and started moving back towards the latest villain. If he could distract them long enough, then Marinette could make a clean getaway. That plan, sadly, failed before it even began. As soon as the akuma had seen Chat stop, he’s eyes shot around for the reason. Finding the blue haired girl running to the doorway was all too easy.

“How about a quick picture miss!” He yelled, throwing another giant Polaroid picture in the direction of Marinette. Adrien changed courses and sprinted to her side, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her another direction. She let out a small gasp but tightened her grip on his shoulders. The Polaroid made contact with the ground right behind them, causing debris and flooring to go flying. Adrien felt the material fly around him, but concentrated on the task at hand. Get Marinette to safety.

Ducking into an alcove with a door to the hallway, he set Marinette down and flashed a smile. “Got to be careful Princess. He wanted to get your good side.” He joked looking her up and down for any injuries. His smile faltered at the sight of blood blossoming from a cut in her jacket sleeve. “You’re hurt.”

Marinette looked around frantically, and made a shooing motion with her uninjured arm. “I’m fine Chat. It’s just a scratch. But you have to go back and distract that guy so he doesn’t destroy the studio.” She insisted. Adrien stared at her arm for a second longer before a grin appeared on his face and he bent down on one knee. He shouldn’t worry her. As long as she got to safety, she could get some medical attention.

“Your wish is my command, you Highness. Just get to safety.” Adrien asked, planting a kiss on her knuckles. A small glance up showed her rolling her eyes but nodding. With that, he stood up, gave her a salute, and dove back into the battle. After all, he should probably figure out where the akuma was before Ladybug.

* * *

 

“Miraculous Ladybug!” A familiar wave of red bubbly light flew around their surroundings, fixing the demolished studio. Chat bumped fists with his Lady, giving her a small smile. He knew that he was supposed to flirt with her a bit more, make a few more puns, and be a generally goofier person. That was his personality as Chat Noir. But the entire fight, his mind continued to drift back to Marinette standing in the alcove with an injured arm, telling him to go. Ladybug had noticed the difference in him right away, but had chosen to focus on the battle. Now that their jobs were done, she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Chat, are you ok? You were acting a little off throughout the fight.” She asked, worried about her partner. Chat shot her a reassuring smile but still didn’t make eye contact. Instead, he looked around the room and towards the exits.

“It’s nothing to worry about My Lady. Just a girl I knew got injured before I could get to her in time. I’m just hoping that she got to safety.” Chat responded cryptically. He knew that Marinette was smart and wouldn’t do anything stupid, but he had seen her been self-sacrificing several times and get into the heat of battles instead of running away.

“You’re worried about her? I’m sure that she is a smart enough civilian to get away from danger.” Ladybug reasoned, holding her left arm closer to her than usual. A part of Adrien’s mind reminded him that it was the same arm that Marinette had hurt, but he disregarded it. Instead, he laughed at Ladybug’s comment.

“Most of the time, yes, but there have been a few occasions where I’ve seen her run to danger instead of away.” A familiar beeping sound snapped both of them out of their talk. Ladybug reached up for her earring and sighed.

“Go visit her. You didn’t use cataclysm so you should be good.” She said reluctantly. Chat perked up at his Lady’s suggestion. She had made a rule a year ago that they couldn’t visit civilians or victims unless there were special circumstances, so it was good to know that he wouldn’t have to lie to Ladybug if she asked later if he visited Marinette. “Keep it short though. You are just going to check if she is ok.”

Bowing, he flashed her a real smile. “Of course My Lady. Have a good day.”

Nodding, she ran off, like always. Chat stared in her direction for a few moments before stretching and going to an exit. He needed to detransform, feed Plagg, and check in with Natalie to tell her that he was fine. And then he could visit the girl that was on his mind.

* * *

 

Marinette sighed as she fell back on her bed. After transforming back and rushing home, she managed to avoid her parents and patch up herself. It wasn’t that big of a cut, and her magic had healed some of it, but it was fairly obvious that she was hurt. A long bandage covered her left arm now, which was going to make it difficult to find outfits to wear that hid it all.

“Jeez, I hope this heals soon so it doesn’t interfere with work.” She mumbled, looking over at her work station. There was a number of projects that she was in the middle of for both school and the internship, but she couldn’t find the energy to move and do them. Besides, most Parisians gave you some leeway if you were caught up in an attack. Marinette closed her eyes and sighed again. Maybe a nap would help….

She was about 2 minutes from dreaming when there was a knock on her ceiling door. Opening her eyes, she caught sight of a familiar pair of green eyes and black ears. Looks like Chat had decided to visit her after all. Siting up, Marinette undid her lock and opened the door, allowing Chat to hang his head in. His already wild hair floofed down, causing Marinette to hold back a giggle. She would not giggle at his dorkiness.

“Hey Princess. Mind if I drop in?” He asked cheekily. Marinette smiled and patted the spot on the bed directly under the door. There was a flash of black and then an upside down Chat lying on her bed. This time, she smirked at his ungraceful entrance.

“And I thought cats were supposed to land on their feet.”

Chat let out a chuckle and sat up, rubbing his head. “Well, I’m a pretty unlucky cat.” He admitted, turning to face her fully. His eyes immediately found the large bandage on her arm. “How is your injury?”

Marinette shrugged and offered him her arm to look over. Before she made the rule about visiting civilians, Chat would drop by every so often, mostly after an akuma attack that she was around, to check on her. They had become friends through it, but she had been worried about him finding out her secret and put a stop to it. Now that he was here again, she immediately fell back into the natural state of friendship they had back then. “It’s fine. It wasn’t that bad. Just looked a lot worse than it really was.”

Grabbing her arm gently, Chat examined the bandage. “This a pretty well done patch up. Did you take lessons on this?” he asked.

“U-um no! When I was younger, I was really clumsy and constantly getting hurt. So I just learned through trial and error how to do it correctly.” Marinette half lied. She had actually learned from all the times that she had to patch herself up from the few wounds she got as Ladybug, but he couldn’t know that. Chat continued to stare at her arm before bringing it up to his face and lightly kissing the middle of the bandage. Marinette felt her cheeks flush at that.

“Sorry that you got hurt Princess. If I was faster, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” He apologized. His expression was serious. Marinette frowned and poked his nose with her finger.

“Chat, if you hadn’t saved me, I would been in a lot worse of condition. You really saved me. Don’t apologize for that. It’s just a small scratch.” She insisted. Her words did nothing to change his mind. Rolling her eyes, she crawled to the edge of her bed and put her feet on her stairs. “If you really want to apologize, come play some video games with me.”

Chat perked up and gave her a grin. “Really Princess? You’re okay with this alley cat hanging around you for a bit?”

“For one hour. Then you have to go Kitty.”

She remembered what she had said as Ladybug to him earlier, and she had meant it then. But she had forgotten at the time how much Chat actually felt guilty when he couldn’t completely save someone. She wasn’t going to let her kitty be sad and beat himself up about it. And besides, what would one hour be?

 

And if that one hour turned into 4 hours, who was really going to know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I am probably going to edit and rewrite this chapter once I am done with the storyline because I feel like it could have been better. The ending was rushed and I still don't know how to write their interactions when they are superheroes but I guess the important thing to remember is that they are both like 18/19 and are at different places in their relationship than where they are now. 
> 
> No Gabriel in this one, but just you guys wait til the next chapter. Lets just say that Gabriel is not going to be happy that Marinette got injured. HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE. I can't wait. The next chapter should be up soon (hopefully, if English doesn't kill me first).
> 
> Once again, Happy Birthday to my Chat. If you are lucky, I might get chapter 6 done before the end of the day...maybe...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette goes to work the day after the attack, Adrien and Gabriel 'talk', and there's some word on the street

Being the apprentice of a fashion designer came with some unsaid rules. Rule 1: never be late. For anything. Time was of the essences and being late was for undisciplined models. Gabriel had told her once he picked her that if she was more than 10 minutes late for anything, and the reason was not crippling illness or an akuma attack, her apprenticeship would be terminated. Rule 2: Never let the media catch you in an uncompromising position that may reflect the company in a bad way. The Agreste Company was one of the top fashion houses in the world, which meant that the paparazzi was always looking for a scandal to report on. She would be trusted with not only the image of the company but with documents and information that was very valuable to its future. Being caught or accidently telling important information would lead to termination. And Rule 3: never leave the house without looking your absolute best. She was the apprentice to a fashion designer. Looking like a slob or wearing something that was last season was unacceptable. If she showed up to work in something that Gabriel deemed out of fashion, she would be terminated. 

Marinette followed these rules to a T. she was not risking the chance of a lifetime because she forgot 3 rules. However, she was at a loss on what to do as she woke up the next morning and looked at her closet. The gauze bandage took up most of her lower arm, and she couldn’t wear anything from winter or fall to cover it up. She didn’t want to show up to class, or to the Agreste Mansion, with her injury on parade. That would result in questions. Marinette was slowly starting to hate questions. One glance at her clock told her that if she didn’t choose quickly, she would be late. Sighing in frustration, she grabbed the first outfit she could find. Let’s just hope no one noticed.

* * *

 

Adrien rolled his neck as he stepped out of the car. His father still insisted that he still be driven to school, regardless of the fact that he was now attending a university. Adrien was starting to suspect that it was less for safety reasons and more for image seeing that his father had no issues with him hanging out with his friends more as long as he was on time to his modeling shoots. The mansion spanned his eyesight and he felt himself start to sigh. He had lived in the mansion for a majority of his life, save his infant years, but the massiveness still didn’t make up for the hollow inside. He started to walk up the stairs before a flash of white passed him up and opened the door as quickly as they possibly could. It took him a second to process the fact that it was most likely Marinette since she was the only one outside of him, Natalie, and his father that knew the passcode to the mansion. Climbing the stairs two at a time, Adrien intended to catch up to Marinette. Once he walked into the house, he heard her voice coming from the gallery. 

“I am so sorry Mr. Agreste. I know that I am a bit late and there is no excuse for that but I promise that it won’t happen again.” 

“You made it before the 10-minute deadline and so it will be overlooked. I suggest, however, to not make the same mistake again.” Gabriel’s voice stated, his tone strict and business-like. So even if he did like Marinette enough to pressure Adrien to date her, she wasn’t subjected to favoritism. 

Adrien slowly made his way into the gallery. He should probably tell his father that he was home and would be in his room until the photoshoot later on. As he stepped into the room, He saw his father look Marinette up and down to assess her outfit. A sour feeling spread through Adrien’s body at this gesture. The logical part of his mind said that his father was doing this to make sure that his apprentice was keeping up with fashion trends, but he still didn’t like the fact that the older man’s eyes hovered over each part of her outfit. 

Gabriel’s gaze stopped at Marinette’s left sleeve and he raised an eyebrow. “Ms. Cheng, may I ask why there is a bandage on your left arm?” 

Both Adrien and Marinette tensed at the loaded question. Marinette drew her arms closer to herself and dropped her eyes to the floor. Before she could answer, Adrien stepped fully into the room. “Father, there was an Akuma attack at the photoshoot yesterday. It was after the main part of the shoot, but it still caused the rest of the shoot to be canceled.” He interjected. Turning to Marinette, he gave her a concerned look. “Did you get hurt during it?”  

Marinette’s eyes widened slightly but nodded. “Y-yes. I got hit by some flying debris when I was trying to get out of the room. Don’t worry, though, Mr. Agreste. It isn’t that bad and Chat Noir made sure that I was okay after the attack. I am perfectly capable of working. I just can’t put as much weight on the arm since it is still sore.” 

Gabriel’s eyes shifted from Marinette to his son a few times before nodding. “And so I can assume that is the reason that you are wearing certain cat accessories. To show your appreciation for him?” 

That comment made Adrien actually look at the blue-haired girl’s outfit in more detail. He blushed slightly at the sight of black cat knee stockings and a paw print necklace that complimented her white, flowy off the shoulder top with bell sleeves that went about two inches above her wrists. The shirt was tucked into some high-waisted light blue jean shorts, with the entire outfit completed with some cute white flats with ankle straps. Her hair was piled into a high bun, and she looked amazing. Marinette nodded in response to the question, blushing as well. 

“Yes, sir. I thought I might as well show some appreciation for my favorite Parisian hero. Is that alright?” She asked innocently. Adrien’s blush intensified at her words. Favorite hero? Really? Beside him, Gabriel nodded. 

“As long as you make sure that it is just small things. I do not want my apprentice to be a walking Chat Noir advertisement. Now, please go to the office and make sure that your designs are ready to go. We will be leaving to go to the company in 20 minutes.” He order. Marinette nodded quickly and ran off to complete her task. Adrien took a shaky breath. Ok, job done. “Adrien, may I have a word with you?” Shit.

Shit.

* * *

 

Gabriel watched as his son fidgeted with the strap of his bag before facing him. “Yes Father?” 

“Why was it that I only heard about this attack a day after it happened?” he asked seriously. There were more important questions to get to, but patience was key. Adrien shrugged.

“I had assumed that Natalie would have told you. And it was after a majority of the pictures had been taken so it wasn’t like we needed to reschedule the rest of it.” Adrien answered nonchalantly. Gabriel nodded. 

“Why is it that the only reported injury, so far, was to my apprentice when she was assigned to you? And why did you not know she was injured until just now?” 

Adrien stiffened at his question, as was expected. Gabriel knew that Adrien was well aware of Marinette’s injury if the girl was telling the truth about Chat Noir visiting her to make sure that she was alright. “When the Akuma appeared, everyone rushed to the nearest exit. I got caught up in the panic and was dragged out. By the time I noticed that she wasn’t near me, one of the other staff members told me that they saw her exit the building. I just assumed that she was alright.” 

“You assumed she was okay?” “

“Yes, sir.” Adrien said through his teeth. He wished he could tell his father that he knew about her injury and that he had visited her to make sure that she was okay. He wished he could tell him that he was the reason that nothing worse had happened to Marinette and that he is still sorry that she even got one small injury. But that would be revealing his identity and most likely shutting off his main source of freedom. Gabriel frowned at this answer.

“I put her with you to make sure that she was safe. I expected you to watch out for her and protect her if an incident occurred, which you obviously didn’t. Marinette is now injured and despite her reassurance, her work will suffer for it. I do not want an incident like this to occur ever again. Your top priority when an attack happens is to get you and Marinette out of there as soon as possible. She is the future of this company. I will not be happy if another report reaches me that she was injured on your watch.” Gabriel instructed, anger slowly slipping into his tone. Adrien narrowed his eyes but kept his thoughts to himself. “Am I understood?” “

“Yes, sir.” 

Gabriel nodded slightly. “Good. And I suggest that if you are interested in Ms. Cheng, you should move quickly. It seems that Chat Noir has made a rather big impression on the girl.” With that, Gabriel walked out of the room, fully aware of the blush that was spreading across his son’s face and neck. 

* * *

 

Alya sat at her signature spot outside of a little café. It was a well-hidden spot in the center of Paris that she and Marinette had stumbled upon during their lycree years and had been going to ever since. She tapped her toes to the beat of the music playing through her headphones. It was the new mix that Nino had made for her so that she could drown out the world while she was writing her articles, but it was soon becoming her go-to playlist for any occasion. Like waiting for her best friend to appear for the girl’s day out. She couldn’t wait to see what Marinette had put together for her Chat Noir inspired outfit to match Alya’s own Ladybug inspired outfit.

Soon enough, she caught sight of a familiar blue haired girl and waved her arm to catcg her attention. Marinette smiled at her friend and walked a little faster. Her own outfit was a loose green sweater that hung off one shoulder with “Meow” embroriered into the fabric tucked into a black skirt with a green bow tied at the top. She wore ankle boots that matched Chat’s almost to a T and her hair was down. Alya got up as her friend put her purse down on the table and hugged him.

“Girl, it is so nice to see you. It feels like ages since we hung out and had a day to ourselves.”

Marinette chuckled at her friend. “Well with both of us in universities and doing internships, it’s hard to meet up. But we need to get together more because I missed you too much.”

Alya raised an eyebrow and they both sat down. “Marinette, I am taking an internship at the new station right now. You are an apprentice to one of the biggest names in fashion. Those are two different levels. I may have a shot to get a low level job after I graduate. You are basically set up to get at least 3 different offers before you graduate just so they can steal you from Agreste. And word on the street is that you are going to inherit his business.”

“I-inherit his business!?” Marinette sputtered. Alya gave her friend a weird look before realization hit.

“You haven’t seen the papers yet, have you?” Marinette quickly shook her head no, her eyes wide. Alya chuckled and reached for her satchel to pull out the recent tabloid she had picked up. Sliding it across the table, Alya smirked. “Well, this hit the stands yesterday so everyone else that cares has seen it.”

Marinette stared in horror at the bold letters across the top of the cover and the massive amount of pictures they had plastered across the rest of it.

 

**Is There A Princess of The Agreste Household? Gabriel Agreste’s New Apprentice Closer to the Family than you Think.**

_An insider says that she is next in line for the company…_

 

The pictures in the background were ones taken in the past week of all the times that she was seen with Gabriel or Adrien. Flipping quickly to the rest of the story, her face grew redder the more she read. They were blowing everything out of proportion!

Alya sat there in amusement as her friend’s expressions lit up her face. “So, got anything you want to tell me?”

“T-this is all insane! Adrien and Gabriel have just been helping me with some stuff because I got injured earlier last week! I can’t believe the paparazzi managed to get all of these pictures. And t-they are insinuating impossible things! Gabriel adopting me in order to make me the heir of his company? That’s so stupid! How did they get this published?” She all but shrieked in indignation. Alya tilted her head to the side.

“You call Adrien’s dad Gabriel? I didn’t know you were that close to him.” Marinette looked at her friend with shock. “It’s not like that! He-he just asked me to call him that because we spend a lot of time together! Do not hop on this train too.”

Alya let out a massive laugh at that. “Girl, I’m playing with you. I highly doubt that any of the things they put in the article is true. It’s a tabloid. They do stuff like this. I just wanted to give you a heads up so that you can tell your boss.” Marinette started to calm down at her words and laugh a little too.

“Yeah, sorry about that. It’s just that this article is really blowing it all out of proportion. Adrien and Gabriel are just really nice and always helping me out. I can’t tell you how many times they have both invited me out for dinner. And I am always driven home by Adrien if it is past 10 now.” Marinette explained. Alya smiled and waggled her eyebrows.

“Oh really? Sounds to me like they are both ‘courting’ you. Maybe the article isn’t that far off. What if they are having a competition over you?” She said jokingly. Marinette laughed and put the tabloid down.

“Yeah right. As if they would be competing over me. That’s an outrageous idea.”

“Totally. Now, let’s get some coffee and cute pastries that will never taste as good as your parents and enjoy our girl’s day out.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, this is so late but I got busy and its senior year so cut me some slack. I am actually avoiding homework right now so that's bad but a promise has been made so MY CHAT BETTER FUCKING FINISH READING SAFE SPACES AND LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE SWEET SERIES BECAUSE I HAVE FEELS AND YOU ARE LETTING ME DOWN. DO YOU HEAR ME BRITTANY. LETTING ME DOWN. I KNOW YOU ARENT DOING YOUR HOMEWORK RIGHT NOW SO GO FUCKING READ AND LISTEN TO THEM FOR GOD SAKES.
> 
> additionally, the outfit that Mari wears for her girl's day out was inspired by gorovaia's artwork that I saw that you can see here:
> 
> http://gorovaia.tumblr.com/post/142886974967/of-course-she-made-it-herself-and-of-course-shes
> 
> ok now that is done, the next chapter should be up in 3 weeks, if not sooner and it is going to be fluff and sin and angst all in one. I'm excited. Ok, that's it bye.

**Author's Note:**

> I have more ideas for how the rest of this goes down but I had to get this out of my mind and my own personal Chat Noir has been wanting me to write this for a week so it was finally time. I might make a sequel to this. Maybe...


End file.
